Wednesday, September 05, 2007

And So It Comes To Pass

The BBC is reporting the comments of Lord Justice Sedley who says that the current DNA database - which holds DNA from crime suspects and scenes - is "indefensible". At this point I was happy. Then I read the next paragraph, where he added that it would be fairer to include "everybody, guilty or innocent" on it.

He said the only option was to expand the database to cover the whole population and all those who visit the UK. "Going forwards has very serious but manageable implications. It means that everybody, guilty or innocent, should expect their DNA to be on file for the absolutely rigorously restricted purpose of crime detection and prevention."

As I've said previously, it's not the provision of a national DNA database which causes me problems when it's used for crime solving purposes. No, it's the access granted to various organisations that have nothing to do with crime fighting that causes me the most fear.

The UK already has the biggest DNA database in the world, and it's growing by 30,000 samples a month. Everybody who has been arrested for all but the most minor infraction remains on the system regardless of their age, the seriousness of the offence and whether or not they were prosecuted.

Professor Stephen Bain, a member of the national DNA database strategy board, warned expansion would be expensive and make mistakes more likely. "The DNA genie can't be put back in the bottle," he said. "If the information about you is exposed due to illegal or perhaps even legalised use of the database, in a way that is not currently anticipated, then it's a very difficult situation."

The Government position on this appears to have moved slightly from a firm "no" to this from Home Office Minister Tony McNulty, who said there were no plans to introduce DNA profiling for everyone in the UK, but "no-one ever says never".

Well I do matey, and if you want my DNA you're going to have to wait until I'm dead to collect it, because I'm never going to give you it when I'm alive.

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Following on from McNulty's comments of earlier today, a spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown later said DNA had helped tackle crime, but expanding the database would create "huge logistical and bureaucratic issues" and civil liberty concerns.

He said there were no plans for a voluntary national or compulsory UK database.